Moments
by happilycaptainswan
Summary: The story of Hook and Emma. A/N: This is my first ever fan fiction so please excuse my rambling and the jumpiness of present and past tense and whatnot. I really don't write AT ALL. And the scene at the end is totally from Cooking Fast and Fresh with West and what inspired this fic. If you've never seen it, you should really watch it because it's the cutest thing ever.


Her father once told her to look for the moments in life, good ones, bad ones… all worth living. She took that to heart, even remembering it when she didn't remember him. And so she's been collecting the good moments like a hoarder, squirreling them away for rainy days she thought were sure to come.

—

But ever since Hook found her in New York, where she knew there was something missing and wondered why rum had become her drink of choice and the sea kept calling her name.

(It was him. Lingering just a bit out of her grasp. When she'd dream of blue eyes and words of hope and love.)

Ever since she'd taken the potion and the fog had been lifted. His face the last she saw before her memories were taken and the first when she got them back.

"Hook. I was hoping it'd be you."

(And she knew she'd wanted him to find her when she'd told him "Good" when they'd parted the year before.)

"I will always find you," he'd promised.

And he'd held her when the realization hit that she'd given Henry up, been the one to help her put the pieces back together.

(He could feel the way his touch transformed her, the way she was finding her way back to him and when she says his name it's like the dawn breaking after a stormy night at sea.)

—

Ever since then her life has had a lot of good moments.

Reuniting with her parents. Easily defeating the Wicked Witch with her magic (love is strength). Closure with Neal. Letting go of her past, letting herself heal, opening up to love. To _him_.

The many nights on the Jolly Roger with him and sometimes with rum, sometimes talking, sometimes not but always calming and just what she needed.

(Because he knows her. In every moment, in every way. He knows her when her world is falling apart and when she is fighting to hold it together. He knows her at her strongest and at her weakest. He knows her better than she knows herself.)

That one night she looked at him and took a leap of faith with her heart and finally, _finally_ let him in. Two broken souls finding one another and becoming whole, finding salvation. That night was definitely a good moment.

(He was complete in all the ways he wasn't without her.)

—

She was an idiot for keeping him out as long as she did. Because with him, everything was light and love and she was just so, so happy.

(He knew he'd get through those walls of hers eventually. He's nothing if not a persistent man. And he's most definitely in this for the long haul.)

—

Their first date she can't stop laughing. Henry had decided Hook needed to watch pretty much every single movie ever made and she's willing to bet that's where he got all the ideas for their date.

He shows up at her door not in his usual leather outfit like she expected but in dark jeans and a black button up. He rarely wore his hook anymore so to see him standing there with two hands, in modern clothes and looking so normal made her do a double take. Yes, it was the shock of seeing him out leather and not the fact that he looked damn good.

He gives her flowers and when he bows and extends his arm for her to take with a soft "M'lady," she looks past him and sees a horse drawn carriage, she nearly doubles over with laughter. "You've got to be kidding me." He's a bit confused and a bit flustered but she assures him it's just because this is just not what people do for her. He simply says it's what she deserves.

She laughs when they get on his ship and sees a table set with candles and rose petals. They have a candlelit dinner, under the stars, complete with wine ("What the bloody hell is this, Swan? You drink this by choice?" as if he wasn't the one who bought it, before he promptly dumps it out and refills his glass with rum, of course) and dessert.

When he breaks out the guitar (he actually put his hook back on to use it as a pick) and starts to serenade her, she's pretty sure she cackled because what even is her life? Being romanced and wooed by Captain Freaking Hook. He looks a bit affronted but continues to sing to her nonetheless and let it be known that Emma Swan is not one to swoon but swoon she does that night.

He really tried and it was perfect and he was perfect. And she was laughing because she was so happy. She's pretty sure she laughed more that night than all her 29 years before.

(He thinks it's the most beautiful sound he's ever heard.)

—

There are many, many dates after that. And he brings flowers each time. And always bows before he takes her hand. It's completely ridiculous and she laughs every time before giving him a kiss and telling him he's hopeless. To which he always replies, "Hopelessly in love with you."

It should scare her but it surprisingly doesn't. Like almost everything about him and her and them. She knows he means it and she's pretty sure she feels the same way. Has probably felt that way since way back on the beanstalk when she couldn't, wouldn't let him in. Her walls were strongly in place then but he'd made a little crack and started chipping it away little by little, all the while climbing to get to her. Her walls are gone now but she's still not ready to say it. Yet.

(But he knows because of that one special way she says 'Hook' like he says 'as you wish.' And also because her actions speak louder than words. How her eyes light up when she sees him, the smile that's meant only for him, how she always reaches for his hand.)

—

The first time they have sex it's unreserved fire and passion. It's been so long since she's been touched, _wanted to be touched_, and she comes with his name on her lips and a burst of starlight behind her eyes. And she thinks she'll never get enough of him.

He's holding her tight against him afterwards, like he never wants to let go (and she never wants him to), when she notices the tattoo on his left forearm. In the dim moonlight filtering through the window she can make out a beanstalk, a compass and a swan. Her fingers trace the inked lines and he tells her it's the story of them. He got it shortly after his return to the Enchanted Forest so he'd have a physical reminder, proof that she was real and not just a wild dream he'd dared to dream.

She asks him to tell her their story and she falls asleep to the sound of his voice. She dreams of a pirate and a princess falling in love and living happily ever after.

(He sleeps peacefully for the first time in hundreds of years and dreams of her in colors that don't exist, of love and warmth and sunshine.)

—

The first time she calls him Killian is during their first fight. She doesn't even remember what they're arguing about but the way he snaps out, "Emma," makes her lose it and she throws a book at him. Which makes him lose it and he's on her in a second. He pushes her hard against the wall and pins her hands above her heads.

She stares him down. "Let me go, Hook."

"No."

"Hook."

He only tightens his grip on her wrists.

"Killian," she says calmly but under the surface she's seething.

His eyes snap to hers and then he's kissing her all hot and angry. And damn it, she's supposed to be mad at him and not turned on. And even though her mind is saying no, her body gives into him and they end up having angry sex.

She thinks this might be her favorite kind of sex.

(He thinks they should fight more often if this is what's going to happen everytime.)

—

She still mostly calls him Hook because that's who he is, someone who loves so deeply that each loss changed him, turned him into this man before her. His mother's death made him a lost boy. His father's abandonment made him a lieutenant. His brother's death made him a pirate captain. Milah's death made him Hook.

They are all a part of him. He is Killian, a lost boy in his quiet times, a lieutenant when his help is needed, a captain when he takes charge, a pirate when he takes what he wants, and Hook in his steadfastness.

He is all that and more to her. A lover, a friend, a partner, one of the few constants in her life… her anchor.

(He calls her many names. Love, sweetheart, darling, lady, beautiful, princess but she's mostly Swan. Because like the white Swan on the dark water, she is the white spot illuminating the dark that was his life. She is his Swan, his light in the dark.

He only calls her Emma when he's truly happy or truly angry. Rarely in between the two extremes.)

—

For her 30th birthday, he's planned a surprise party. He never asked when her birthday was and she never told so she thinks he probably asked his best mate, David.

She's not one for birthdays since 27 years of wishing never gave her anything. But he goes all out and makes sure everyone she's ever talked to in Storybrooke is on his ship. There is love and laughter and fun.

When they sing her happy birthday, she looks at him holding the cake and thinks her heart will beat right out of her chest. She doesn't make a wish before blowing out the candles because everything she'd ever wished for, she now has.

Later, when he's walking her home, their fingers entwined between them, she stops and tugs him towards her and wraps her arms around him and snuggles her face in his chest, breathes him in and tells him thank you, it's the best birthday she's ever had. He hugs her tight and tells her he loves her.

(He doesn't like birthdays either because the only one he remembers is when he turned five. His mama had bought him a little cake even though they hadn't had proper food on the table for days and it was the most delicious thing he'd ever ate. She'd told him he'd grow up to make her proud like Liam was doing in the Royal Navy and that she loved him to the moon and back.

He'd wished that she wouldn't be sick anymore so Papa would stop drinking and they'd be a happy family again. But then she only got worst and died and his papa wouldn't even look at him because he looked so much like her. Then one day Papa went to drink and never came back. And he was all alone. So he didn't have anymore birthdays.

Until Emma. When she tells him to pick a new date and he chooses the day they left for Neverland because that was the day he chose to be a part of something, chose _her_ and wasn't alone anymore.

She bakes him a cake and lights a candle and tells him to make a wish.

He wishes for forever with her.)

—

The first time he spends the night it's because they're carving pumpkins. ("But why, Swan. Why must you carve faces into pumpkins and then proceed to leave them outside to rot? I don't see the point." She gives an exasperated sighs and tells him to just shut up and carve and when he starts to say, "But-" she cuts him off by throwing pumpkin guts at his face.

He gives her a look and before she knows it, they're both covered in orange muck and Henry tells them they're behaving like little kids. So they both go after him and then all three of them are throwing and screaming and laughing and she's just so happy. Even though the dining room ends up a big mess and so do they. But cleaning themselves up is half the fun because Hook really loves her shower, especially when they're in it together.)

And then Henry decides they should watch all the Halloween movies ("Oh, he is a dreadful fellow. Now I'm actually quite thankful we didn't have these moving pictures in the Enchanted Forest." And she laughs because Captain Hook is scared of Michael Myers.) and it's three in the morning when she glances at the clock after the third one.

Henry is snoring against her right shoulder and Hook on her left. She pokes him in the ribs but he doesn't stir. So she turns off the TV and snuggles against him and goes to sleep thinking about how he still smells like the sea and leather even though he used her soap and is wearing a tshirt and sweatpants.

She doesn't think she'll ever get enough of the scent of him. She thinks he smells like home.

(He smiles in his sleep when she nuzzles the crook of his neck and she smells like cinnamon and the wind that blows from the forest to the sea and he thinks she smells like coming home.)

—

The second time he spends the night, it's snowing out and they're building gingerbread houses with Henry. ("Your realm does many odd things, Swan. I don't get all these little traditions that you must do. Why build these little houses, especially with gingerbread and not wood? And why decorate them with sweets? And you don't even eat it after? Seems a bloody waste to me." To which she replies with a dab of frosting to his nose and tells him to shut up and frost his roof.)

(He does as he's told.)

Then they're watching Home Alone (only one and two because three never happened) and the snow is still falling and by the time the movie is over, there's a good three feet covering the ground. She tells him he's not going anywhere until the snow stops and the plows come, whenever that may be. Luckily the fridge is stocked and they spend the rest of the night pigging out and playing board games.

(She can't help but laugh whenever the buzzer sounds in Operation and he yells, "Bloody hell!" Needless to say, she won and he lost.)

And after Henry goes to sleep, she catches him staring at the gingerbread houses they've made. She asks what he's thinking about and he says he's thinking about her and how happy he is to be a part of her life. She smiles and leads him to her room where she shows him how much he means to her.

After, she finally tells him she loves him and he just says, "I know." Smug pirate.

(He knew but it's been a long time since anyone has actually said the words to him. And they wrap around his heart and make him feel lighter than he's ever been. He is loved.)

—

Once she says it the first time, she can't stop telling him. The three little words that she was so scared of before now come out so easily. Everything is so easy with him. _I love you_ when he brings her coffee and donuts at the station. _I love you_ when she meets him at Granny's for lunch. _I love you_ when she catches him staring at her, when he catches her staring at him. _I love you_ when they're taking a walk. _I love you_ when they become one. _I love you_ before they drift off the sleep.

(He will never hear it enough.)

—

The third time he spends the night, it's Christmas. They'd spent the day at her parents, having dinner and exchanging gifts.

He'd actually spent most of it doting on her little sister. She knew he loved her son and seeing him with a baby stirred something in her. A feeling of want for one of her own, since she never got to experience that stage with Henry. And she also realized she wanted to experience it with him. She knew it was something he'd always wanted, always hoped for.

And when she caught his eye as he was playing peekaboo with Charlotte, he smiled because he knew what she was thinking.

Her other Christmas gift to him is that night in her bed when they start trying for a baby.

(He didn't want to be a father for the longest time, afraid he'd become like his. But Liam and Milah had shown him that he was his own man and more than his father ever was.

He'd wanted one with Milah but the guilt of leaving Bae prevented her from wanting another. And when he found Bae, he thought that was his chance to right their wrong and they could be a family. But Bae turned him away and he didn't think he'd ever be a father.

Until Emma. Always her. Her wanting to have a child with him is more than he could ever hope for.

And now more than ever, he thinks his mother and Liam and Milah must be watching over him because how else could he explain this happy life he's living?)

—

It's Valentine's Day ("Swan, why is the town garishly pink and covered in hearts?") when she gives him a key to her apartment and asks him to move in.

She knows his ship has been his home for centuries and isn't asking him to give it or the sea up but it'd be nice to wake up next to him every morning in a place that's theirs and not just his or hers. And besides, doesn't he really love her shower?

He doesn't answer right away and she thinks he's not ready and reaches for the key back when his hands close over hers. "The Jolly and the sea were my home for so long, maybe too long, but now my home is with you."

He doesn't have much and what little he does move in, looks like it's meant to be there all along.

When she's working at the desk and lifts up a piece of paper only to find a map he's charting or a part of a poem he's written down, she smiles.

She smiles at his books randomly scattered throughout the apartment. At the leather insignia hanging on the wall. The blanket Milah had made draped over the arm of the couch. The bottles of rum on the wine rack. The little things that are a part of him in their home.

(He smiles when he sees the circled places on his map she wants to travel to, the I love yous she scribbles underneath his poems, when she falls asleep on the couch, wrapped in the blanket, reading his old books. The little things of his that she claims as hers like she's claimed his heart.)

—

She didn't think her heart could be more full. Until the moment he asked her to marry him. She was on the deck of the Jolly, watching the sunset when he came up behind her. He wrapped one arm around her waist and the other went in front of her face, holding a delicate yellow diamond ring.

"What do you say, Swan?" He whispered into her ear.

She could feel his smile as she held out her hand for him to slip the ring onto her finger.

"Yes," she exhaled out to the sea.

He wraps her in his embrace and she rests her head against the crook of his neck. They stay like that for a while, enjoying the night breeze and soft sway of the sea as they reflect on how they've gotten to where they are.

(She said yes.)

—

The night of his bachelor party. David had told her not to worry, just some mates going out for a few drinks. She wasn't worried, it wasn't like he'd never gone out drinking before. But then she got a call from a very drunk David at three am telling her they'd lost Hook.

She finds him passed out on his ship's crow's nest.

"Really? What are you doing up all the way up here?"

"Hiding from your father."

"You couldn't handle a couple drinks?"

"Your father was bloody out of control."

(He's never drinking with Dave again.)

—

She will never forget their wedding day. After Mary Margaret had helped her get ready, she took a moment alone to walk the beach. She didn't think this day would ever come. Her in a white dress that her mother had helped her in, about to be walked down the aisle by her father to marry the love of her life.

When she reaches the top of a bluff, she looks out at his ship docked in the distance. She sees him then, standing on the deck and he's looking right at her. (He'd spent the night before on his ship thanks to her realm's 'bloody silly traditions.') Her heart catches in her throat and she's never been more sure of anything in her life.

—

He smiles her favorite smile as she walks towards him, they exchange vows of forever and when they kiss for the first time as husband and wife, he whispers, "Mine" into her lips. _Forever_, she thinks.

And as they dance their first dance, he says, "I love you, Mrs. Jones" and she really loves the sound of that.

They are surrounded by family and friends, celebrating their love, and it is everything she had ever wished for when she was just that lost little girl so long ago.

They steal a moment away alone together on the beach, water gently lapping on their toes, smiles and light kisses, promises of love, always and forever.

(He has never seen her more beautiful than now, glowing in the moonlight. Her hair that was perfectly braided that morning now loose and wild, cheeks flushed from a little too much champagne and a lot of dancing, eyes bright and full of love and lips red and slightly swollen from all his kisses.

"Thank you," he whispers into her ear.

"For what?"

"For choosing me."

"It's always been you, Killian."

He was grief and ruins and she was the miracle. Her love is like the whispering wind telling him he's not alone and breathing life into him. They're a perfect mismatched set, he is dark and she is the light. And with her he is complete.)

—

There's always a tiny part of her that's waiting for the other shoe to drop. She can't possibly be this happy without consequence.

But then she looks at him and he just knows what she's thinking and he tells her she's a princess and this _is_ a fairytale and she's living her happily ever after. That she deserves it and everything and more and he'll spend the rest of his life giving it to her.

She tells him that all she needs is him. And that's enough. More than enough.

(He knows they can get through anything as long as they're together. They make quite the team, after all.)

—

There are moments when he tells her she is his world, his savior. That her love is like the rain falling on his soul and washing away all the darkness. That he doesn't know what he did to deserve her, that all those years he spent in Neverland was really waiting for her because he was meant to find her, love her.

He'd do it all over again, the 300 years of pain and heartache of losing his mother, his brother, his first love, himself. Because it meant he'd end up here with her, his home, where he belonged.

(But the moments she likes best are when they're a tangle of limbs in bed and she's just _Emma, Emma, Emma_… her name has never sounded more beautiful coming from his lips.)

—

The day she woke up next to a map instead of him. She follows it and finds herself on the same bluff she was standing on the day they got married. And there he is, standing in front of a little house with a white picket fence.

"Swan." He grins when he sees her. "Glad you were able to read that map."

"What's all this about?" she asks, walking towards him.

"I haven't really been working at the docks these last few months." He scratches behind his ear. "I've been working on this." He gestures at the house.

"And what is this?"

"Our house."

"What?"

"Dave and I built it."

"You two built a house?" She looks at him like he's got two heads.

"Do you like it, love?"

He walks towards her and pulls her into his arms. She can't find the words.

"You built us a," she looks at the house, _their_ house. "A home."

"Aye." He kisses her head. "Our home."

"I hope it has more than two rooms."

He pulls away to look at her face. "Why?"

"I'm pregnant."

Now he's looking at her like she has two heads. "Say that again, love."

"I'm pregnant." She smiles as she cups his cheek.

His hand goes to her stomach and there are tears in his eyes. "I'm to be a father?"

"Yes," she kisses into his mouth.

And then her tears are mingling with his and she thinks she's given him the world like he's just given her.

(He's going to be a father.)

—

All the moments when she was pregnant. When he'd hold back her hair all the times she had morning sickness. And it was often. She never wanted to be pregnant again because morning sickness is no fun.

When they went in for an ultrasound and he saw the little bean that was their baby for the first time. He had Dr. Whale print out about ten pictures that he placed all over the house and she'd often find him staring at them in disbelief. And the second ultrasound when they found out they were having a girl and he heard her heartbeat for the first time. And she'd told him they should name her after his mother.

When she'd wake up in the middle of the night to find him whispering to her ever growing belly. And all the times she'd find him in the nursery where he'd tell her he can't believe the gods have blessed him with her and their daughter. She'd hold him and he'd rub her belly and they'd just relish the fact that they are.

When she'd really wanted a slice of Granny's apple pie and it was two in the morning and so he'd driven to the diner and broke in and brought her back a whole pie. That she finished. (He'd left a note and some money on the counter for Granny, of course.)

When he grabbed every pamphlet the hospital had on pregnancy and labor and made notes in a little notebook that he had taken to carrying around. When he packed a hospital bag and had them practice the route to the hospital at least twenty times even though it was pretty much a straight shot down the street.

(He's going to be a father.)

—

So of course her water breaks when they're out on the Jolly, an hour away from shore. She doesn't know how he makes it back so fast or how she's able to keep herself together before they get to the hospital.

But as soon as they make it through those double doors, all hell breaks loose.

She curses the stupid pirate who had the nerve to get her pregnant. He tells her it's going to be okay, she's doing great and just push. And she yells at him because he's freaking Captain Hook and he isn't even real so really, what does he even know. She crushes his fingers and curses his name and tells him never to touch her again.

Then finally, several hours and a handful of pushes later… she hears her daughter's first cries and all is right in the world.

And he is forgiven.

(He's a father. He has a daughter.)

—

The moment she first holds her, a little bundle of hope and joy… the tiny little person that was theirs to keep and love and cherish.

When he tells her he's scared that he doesn't know how to hold his daughter, what if he drops her? And she tells him everything is going to be fine and places Evelyn in his shaking arms and he melt and whispers, "I can't believe she's mine. Ours." And she knows he is going to be hopeless when it comes to Evelyn, who is going to be a daddy's girl through and through.

And she thinks surely her heart would burst from all the love and happiness she is feeling at that moment.

(And she was right that Evie was going to be a daddy's girl because her first words are papa.)

(He looks into his daughter's eyes and sees she is the literal manifestation of his hope. In life, in love, in Emma, in himself.)

—

She tells him she's pregnant again by sticking a sonogram underneath the calendar on the fridge. She's sitting at the counter with some orange juice when she hears him opening and closing the fridge. She knows he's looking at the calendar now.

"That's why you were up early, love? Doctor's appointment? What for?" he asks. She hears the magnet drop as he pulls the picture off the fridge. "Emma… what's- is this- are you?

There's a big smile on her face as she turns around. "Pregnant? Yeah."

He stares at her for a few seconds then back at the picture then back at her and then he's kissing her and she's still smiling. When he breaks the kiss and touches his forehead to hers, he's got a stupid grin on his face. "You're pregnant."

He falls to his knees and lifts up her shirt to kiss her barely there bump. "There's a baby in there. We're having another baby."

"Yeah."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

(How the gods have blessed him.)

—

All those moments have led to this day. Which she already knows is going to be another good one for her to tuck away.

Killian thought it'd be good idea to have Evie help with dinner. Just because she had looked up at him with those sea glass green eyes of hers and told him, "Papa, I wanna cook. I'm almost four now and old enough." Of course he couldn't say no to his little princess so off they'd gone to the grocery store.

She's sitting at the kitchen counter with a cup of tea and a book when they get home. He's carrying Evie in one arm and quite a few bags in the other.

She quirks an eyebrow at him. "Did you guys buy the whole store?"

"Not quite, love." He puts Evie on the chair, groceries on the counter and gives her a quick kiss. "Evie wants to make pasta with jam sauce so of course we also had to get chocolate chips, Goldfish crackers, popcorn, and juice. Amongst other things."

"Sounds like it's going to be delicious," she says, grabbing her book and tea. "I'll leave you two to it, then."

"You're not going to help, Mommy?"

"No, honey, you and Papa cook and I'll just watch."

She leans down to give Evie a kiss on the head then walks over to the family room. She sits on the couch facing the kitchen so she can see them and read at the same time.

"Okay, then," he says, as they begin unloading the groceries. "Do you remember what kind of chef I am?"

"Yeah, I remember. A sous chef!" Evie says, while putting the grocery bags on her head.

"I'm the sous chef. So that means you have to tell me what to do today. Okay?"

_This is going to be great_, she thinks. She starts to read and soon their kitchen is filled with the sound of things being opened, poured and stirred, Evie's squeals and Killian's amused voice.

"The right amount of carrot juice is how much?"

"Five inches."

"And then how much of the tomato sauce are we putting in?"

"So many."

"So many of the tomato sauce." She looks up at that and catches his eyes and they smile at each other.

Evie asks for the electric beater. A half eaten bag of Goldfish gets dumped into the bowl, an apple, then the pasta.

"Maybe you two should have worn goggles," she tells him, trying not to laugh as Evie continues with the beater and sauce and pasta is flying all over them and the counter.

He gives her a look that says don't even. She laughs and goes back to her book.

The next time she looks up, they're at the stove with their backs to her, heads of unruly dark hair leaning towards each other and laughing. Her heart clenches at the sight. It still amazes her that they're hers and it's more than she could've ever dreamed of.

"If you put a lid on it, it'll cook slower," Evie says, pouring popcorn into a pan while the pasta is cooking in another.

"If you cook these in close proximity to one another, some of the popcorn will actually go right into the jam sauce and give it a little extra flavor kick," he says, catching a flying popcorn and throwing it in his mouth.

"Whoa! What is happening!" Evie exclaims, as popcorn starts flying all over the place. "I'm gonna get off this stool."

Evie walks over to her, face and shirt splattered with sauce. She puts down her book and opens her arms and Evie climbs up and snuggles into her.

"Is it done, honey?"

"Papa, is it done?"

They look over at him. He looks at the concoction boiling on the stove. "It looks done and delicious. Let's see how it tastes." He tries a spoonful. "Mmm. I can taste all the jam. And the chocolate. It's got some really strong flavors."

She laughs and Evie beams. They go over and sit at the table as he makes them each a bowl.

Evie's face scrunches up as she takes her first taste. "Mmm. Yummy."

She tries a small spoonful and it's surprisingly not horrible. "The chocolate really gives it a little something. Not bad, you two."

Evie smiles proudly and Killian gives her a look that says, _I told you so._

"Alright, why don't you two go clean yourselves up and I'll clean up this kitchen," she says after they've finished their bowls. She shakes her head at all the open cans and sauce and pasta splattered all over the kitchen counter.

Evie hops off the chair and runs for the bathroom. "Bubble bath, Papa!"

"As you wish, little lady," he calls after her.

She walks over to him and punches him lightly in the shoulder. "Now she's going to want to cook all the time. I don't think our kitchen can handle a mess like this everyday. I know I can't."

"No worries, love," he says, kissing her forehead. "I'll tell her she can only cook on special occasions. Besides, I don't think we'll be able to stomach all her special recipes."

"That, too," she laughs.

—

Later that night, after she's scrubbed the kitchen of every drop of sauce, packed some pasta for Henry and her parents and Killian's put Evie to bed, the two of them are snuggling on the couch with the fireplace and a record on. The fire is warm and music soothing. He's humming along and lazily rubbing her eight months pregnant belly while she reads her book.

It's little quiet moments like this that she loves the most. When it's just him and her. Together. Alone. But they're really not alone. Not anymore. Because now they've got each other. Henry and Evie and soon Liam. Their own little family. Her parents. Their friends. A home. A place where they belong. And for two people who were lost for so long, it's the most beautiful thing.


End file.
